Sam Darnold threw for a season-high 346 yards and three touchdowns as the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks defeated the visiting Los Angeles Rams 31-27 Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba made 10 receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown and Kenneth Walker III rushed for 62 yards and a score for the Seahawks, who will meet the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, Calif.
Darnold, on his fifth team in eight NFL seasons, finished 25-of-36 passing to reach his first Super Bowl.
The Rams got the ball on their own 8-yard line with no timeouts and 25 seconds remaining but time expired as they reached midfield.
Matthew Stafford was 22 of 35 for 374 yards and three TDs for the fifth-seeded Rams. Puka Nacua made nine catches for 165 yards and a score. Davante Adams added 89 yards and a TD on four receptions.
Trailing by four points, the Rams had a fourth-and-4 from Seattle’s 6-yard with 4:54 remaining. Stafford’s pass intended for Terrance Ferguson in the back of the end zone was knocked down by Devon Witherspoon.
The Seahawks were held on the first possession of the second half, but Rams punt returner Xavier Smith tripped and fell backward as the ball approached. Smith tried to catch the ball just before he landed on his back but muffed the punt and Seattle’s Dareke Young recovered at Los Angeles’ 17-yard line.
On the next play, Darnold hit Jake Bobo in the back of the end zone for a 24-13 lead. It was just the fourth reception of the season for Bobo.
The Rams responded with a four-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Stafford’s 2-yard TD pass to Adams to pull within four points.
Seattle moved right back down the field, restoring their double-digit lead on a 13-yard touchdown reception by former Ram Cooper Kupp.
It appeared the Rams would have to punt from Seattle’s 49-yard line when Riq Woolen knocked down a pass to Nacua to force the Rams into fourth-and-12. But Woolen was called for taunting after the play, giving Los Angeles the ball at the 34. Stafford threw a strike to Nacua, beating Woolen at the front left pylon, to pull the Rams within 31-27 with 2:06 left in the third.
The Seahawks took a 17-13 lead at intermission as Darnold hit a wide-open Smith-Njigba with a 14-yard scoring strike with 20 seconds left. The six-play, 74-yard drive took just 34 seconds after the Rams were held to a three-and-out when they had a chance to run out the clock with the lead.
The Seahawks’ defense also forced a three-and-out on the game’s opening possession. Seattle took advantage with a seven-play, 81-yard touchdown drive, capped by Walker’s 2-yard run around the right end and dive for the pylon.
The teams then traded field goals on the next three possessions, with the Rams’ Harrison Mevis connecting from 44 and 50 yards and Seattle’s Jason Myers from 27.
The Rams took a 13-10 lead on a 9-yard screen pass from Stafford to Kyren Williams with 1:55 left in the half.
